Blood Pressure Question (update)

jjtyler · April 2014

My BP has been hovering high and my doc has me monitoring it at home. Thankfully all my tests (24 hour jug, blood, and NST tests) have me with just the high pressure.

I live about 3 blocks from the train station. After walking a few city blocks to the subway, standing for a few stops, and then to the train (45 min ride),I was feeling eh and asked the hubby for a ride home. Lucky for me, he didn't have his phone with him in the basement....so I walked home.

Started getting abdominal pains after a block and very out of breath by the time I got home. My heart is also beating very fast and my ankles tripled in size since I left the office. I checked my pressure and it was 142/104...so I am nervous. Already called the doctor's service and waiting to hear from back...

What is worse, high on the top or bottom? I drift between 135 and 150-ish on the top, but never that high on the bottom. Also, what is the error margin on an at home machine??

Update Wednesday night: I'm still in hospital. Will be here again overnight. My BP has come down considerably and consistently in the past 12 hours and I'm doing another fun 24 hour pee test...on jug two!!! The issue is now my anemia and really low hemoglobin (it's at 7, when a really low reading is 9 with normal being 12-13). Originally, I was set to get a blood transfusion. Now they are having me stat Iron pills 3-4 times a day. Baby performed well in all his testing, measuring 6 pounds and with perfect amount of amniotic fluid. Will see doc in an hour and hopefully have a game plan after that. 2 weeks and 5 days is the goal now, then I'll be 37 weeks. Shit got really real.

Stacey1717 · April 2014

My Dr told me to go straight to the hospital if my bp got to 140/90 or had severe swelling. Hope you hear back soon!

Junebug060609 · April 2014

Stacey1717 said:
My Dr told me to go straight to the hospital if my bp got to 140/90 or had severe swelling. Hope you hear back soon!

This. Go to the hospital. Dont wait for a call back.

SMM1986 · April 2014

Mine was way above baseline on Thursday, yesterday I felt really funky so I took it at home and got a read of 135/93. I had an appt already scheduled and when I got in it was 112/68, so I don't know if I did it wrong or what. There was protein in my urine so I'm waiting for results.
Are you sure your bp machine is reliable? I read online (mayo Clinic) that some home machines read lower than the office (about 5 mmhg).
Good luck!

ETA- clarity

beccafantastic · April 2014

I get white coat syndrome so I take mine at home twice a day just to make sure. To confirm my machine was accurate I used my machine at the ob immediately after they took it and sure enough my machine was accurate. Try laying down before taking it and if it's still high def get checked ASAP.

tjkdlhb · April 2014

I would definitely go straight to L&D. That's a really high number on the bottom. Especially with the swelling as well.

YTLCNURSE · April 2014

I agree the bottom number is very high. BP can be affected by a number of different things. If you checked your BP as soon as you got home then it's not uncommon for it to be high with all of the walking you just did. Maybe try sitting down and relaxing for a bit and rechecking your BP to see if there's any change. The swelling could be from being on your feet walking home. Definitely put a call in to your dr in the meantime and see what they would recommend.

ho11yday · April 2014

Obgyn said 2x reading in hours of 140/90 to go in. But I had normal readings before. Don't risk it, go in.

softservecity · April 2014

SMM1986 said:

Mine was way above baseline on Thursday, yesterday I felt really funky so I took it at home and got a read of 135/93. I had an appt already scheduled and when I got in it was 112/68, so I don't know if I did it wrong or what. There was protein in my urine so I'm waiting for results. Are you sure your bp machine is reliable? I read online (mayo Clinic) that some home machines read lower than the office (about 5 mmhg). Good luck! ETA- clarity

Mine has spiked like this a few times. I have no idea what causes it... Stress? Overdoing it? But for OP I'd rather be safe than sorry and go in.

2014poppy · April 2014

Are you okay???

ThereBeDragons · April 2014

I do try to give myself 5-10min of feet up quiet breathing/resting after anything that I think may raise my heartrate/blood pressure before taking my reading. If high, I give it another 10min and, if still high, I consider that a rested elevated reading and take it into consideration for calling the doc.

That said, its easiest to not get into a situation where your readings could be elevated by what you were doing... So taking a break during or before starting the walk might have helped too.

Hope everything worked out okay, waiting to hear an update.

Helmink0804 · April 2014

I hope you heard back from your doctor by now or you're at L & D. Hope everything is ok.

jjtyler · April 2014

Hi everyone.... Thanks for the advice and concern. I went to L&D on doctors recommend....and it was a different hospital than my planned one because of the NICU level. My BP was all over he place while I waited for doc to call. It was 162/80, 152/78, then 135/95....I was hoping it was the monitor....and it was a smidge lower when I got there at 145/80, the 130/78, then 137/90...they did bloodwork and urine and everything PIH came back in range, but now I'm apparently severely anemic. So they admitted me :-(. And I'm meeting with an MFM in the am to check my placenta and do a sono. My daughter is going to be so upset when she wakes up :-(. And I'm freaking out.

ThereBeDragons · April 2014

Oh no! I'll keep you in my thoughts this morning. Hopefully everything will check out okay

Junebug060609 · April 2014

jjtyler said:
Hi everyone.... Thanks for the advice and concern. I went to L&D on doctors recommend....and it was a different hospital than my planned one because of the NICU level. My BP was all over he place while I waited for doc to call. It was 162/80, 152/78, then 135/95....I was hoping it was the monitor....and it was a smidge lower when I got there at 145/80, the 130/78, then 137/90...they did bloodwork and urine and everything PIH came back in range, but now I'm apparently severely anemic.

So they admitted me :-(. And I'm meeting with an MFM in the am to check my placenta and do a sono. My daughter is going to be so upset when she wakes up :-(. And I'm freaking out.

BP jumping all over like that is not uncommon with early/mild pre-e. I delivered my son bc of mild pre-e. Was on auto monitoring every 15 mins during my induction and my numbers would be 154/90 one minute and 104/67 fifteen mins later. Could be jumping around for other reasons, too, but it is important they are looking into PIH and Pre-e.

I know it is scary, but I am so glad you are in the hospital and that they are taking this seriously. Very good sign that labs look good

(mine didnt)